Christ on Trial
1 John 5:6-12
July 6, 2014
The darkest night of the disciples’ lives was the night of Jesus betrayal, arrest, and trial.
They knew that Jesus was hated by many — the Pharisees and Sadducees rejected Him, Nazareth rejected Him, even His own siblings rejected Him. But to see Christ on trial and knowing of the consequences of that trial had to be a particular hardship for them. How could so many be so wrong about Christ?
Yet the trial on that Thursday night was not the last time Jesus was on trial. Ever since that day, He has been on trial every day in the hearts of men. And the essence of that trial is whether or not Christ is who He claimed to be, whether He has done what He claimed to do, and whether He is relevant.
Throughout the book of 1 John, the apostle has been compelling his readers to continue to believe in Christ; and now as the book nears completion, John strenuously repeats that theme (vv. 1, 5, 13, 20). But what must we believe about Jesus? This is what John outlines in vv. 6-12. And John’s instruction focuses on the testimony that is given about Jesus (vv. 6-9) and then the two decisions that are made about Him (v. 10-12). Since the word “witness” is so prominent in this passage (it is used 10x in these verses — and only in two other places in the book), it seems as if John is patterning his discussion around the theme of a trial — what is the truth that must be believed about Jesus and what is the outcome of the verdicts?
Obtaining eternal life is dependent on believing in the eternal Christ.
- The Witness Box: the Testimony About Christ (vv. 6-9)
- The testimony of water
- The testimony of blood
- The testimony of the Spirit
- The Jury Room: the Verdicts About Christ (vv. 10-12)
- Belief: “God is true”
- Rejection: “God is a liar”
Download the rest of this sermon on 1 John 5:6-12.
The audio will be posted on the GBC website later today.
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